All committee, council and local board meetings must be open to the public to attend, unless the subject matter fits within one of the 14 exceptions. This is to ensure the open and transparent exercise of municipal power.
A municipality’s procedure by-law defines how public notice of meetings is provided, including the method of giving notice and how far in advance the notice will be given. You can also contact the municipal office or clerk to find out when the meetings are.
Many municipalities live stream some or all of their meetings online on YouTube or their website (meeting video recordings and archived footage are optional – meeting minutes are not), but you can always attend meetings in-person.
Watching or attending municipal council meetings enables you to:
- Stay up to date on specific projects and initiatives
- Learn councillors’ priorities and reasoning behind their decisions
Example: City of Kingston Committee Meeting – Public Participation
Guide
How to participate in a meeting
To get more involved in a meeting, you can also submit:
Comments
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions below and remember to keep it respectful. Please read our Community Guidelines before participating.